The HTML <div> element (or HTML Document Division Element) is the generic container for flow content, which does not inherently represent anything. It can be used to group elements for styling purposes (using the class or id attributes), or because they share attribute values. It should be used only when no other semantic element (such as <article> or <nav>) is appropriate(!).

The HTML Section Element (<section>) represents a generic section of a document, i.e., a thematic grouping of content, typically with a heading. Each <section> should be identified, typically by including a heading (<h1>–<h6> element) as a child of the <section> element.

The HTML Article Element (<article>) represents a self-contained composition in a document, page, application, or site, which is intended to be independently distributable or reusable, e.g., in syndication. This could be a forum post, a magazine or newspaper article, a blog entry, or any other independent item of content. Each <article> should be identified, typically by including a heading (h1–h6 element) as a child of the <article> element.

The HTML Preformatted Text (<pre>) represents preformatted text. Text within this element is typically displayed in a non-proportional font exactly as it is laid out in the file. Whitespaces inside this element are displayed as typed.